Electric switch for automobile signals



Jan. 1, 1929. 1,696,902

D. CLERICQ ELECTRIC SWITCH FOR AUTOMOBILE SIGNALS Filed Dec. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet l 3 4 1//////// ///7/////////AI'/A J3 if a nmmmmu INVENTOR I flaw/war (25/7/60.

ATTORNEY,

O 1,696,902 D. CLERICO ELECTRIC SWITCH FOR AUTOMOBILE SIGNALS Filed Dec. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 1, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DOMINICK CLERICO, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC SWITCH FOR AUTOMOBILE SIGNALS.

Application filed December The invention pertains to electric signalling systems employed on automobiles for in dicating whether a car is to slow down or I stop, a green light being displayed when the car is to slow down and a red light when the car is to stop or has stopped and said lights being intendedas warnings to the driver of a car behind.

The invention consists in novel electric switch mechanism hereinafter described, whereby the driver of a car may eflicient-ly effect the display of the aforesaid signals in a convenient manner, as by a connection with the usual brake-rod, whose movement may be utilized to effect the successivedisplay of the green signal and the red signal or of the green signal alone as the occasion may re quire.

One object of the invention is to provide very durable lasting and efiicient switch mechanism lacking complexity and not liable to damage by the movements or jolting of an automobile, and a further object of the invention is to provide a switch mechanism of the character indicated-which is capable of adjustment so as to vary, for illustration, the period of time the green signal light shall be displayed before the red signal light shall appear and the period of time the green signal light shall be displayed after the red signal li 'ht has disappeared on the starting of the car.

The invention will be fully understood from the detailed description hereinafter presented, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of an electric switch signalling system constructed in accordance with and embodying my invention, the switch operating rod or wire being shown as connected with the brake rod of an automobile;

Fig. 2 is a corresponding view oftho switch mechanism with the face-plate present in Fig. 1. removed, for the purpose of disclosing the interior of the switch casing, Fig. 2 being partly in section on the dotted line 22 of Fig. 5;

8 is a vertical longitudinal section through" the same taken on the dotted line Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section throughv the same takenon the dotted line 'e-GfFigb; H 2

b Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section fiO 6,1923. Serial No. 678,851.

through the same, taken on the dotted line 5-5 of Fig. 2; V

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section through the same, taken on the dotted line 66 of Fig. 1;

Fig. is a detached inner face view of one side plate of the switch casing;

Fig. 8 is a section through the upper end of the switch lever and illustrates the two contact balls carried thereby and shown as being under an outward spring tension in a direction from each other, one of said balls being for engagement with the adjustable conducting member of the switch and the other to engage a conducting plate shown in Fig. 7 on one face-plate of the casing for establishing electrical connection between said member and said plate;

Fig. 9 is a top view of the left hand portion of Fig. 1 and illustrates the connection between the operating rod connected with the switch lever and the brake-rod of an auto mobile;

Fig. 10 is a side view of a modified construction embodying my invention;

, Fig. 11 is a longitudinal section through the same, taken on the dotted line 11-11 of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is atop elevation of the same;

Fig. 13 is a vertical section through the same, taken on the dotted line 13-l3 of Fig. 11, and

Fig. 14 is a corresponding section, taken on the dotted line 1414 of Fig. 11.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive, 20 indicates the switch casing as a whole, 21 the switch lever, 22 the switch operating rod or pull-wire, 23 a portion of the usual brakerod of an automobile and to which the wire 22 is connected, 24 a green electric lamp signal bulb and 25 a red electric lamp signal bulb.

The switch casing comprises three main parts, one being a body portion 26 and the other parts being the face plates 27, 28 secured to opposite sides of said body portion by means of screws or bolts 29, which are insulated from said body portion by bushings '30 through which the bolts 29 pass. The body port-ion 26 is preferably formed of metal and the face plates 27, 28 are of insulating material, and said body portion is integral with laterally extending wings 31 I adapted to be secured to the lower surface of the car-floor 32.

Within the body portion 26 is formed a ,oted lever 21.

oppositely disposed downwardly converging commodious chamber 33 to contain and permit "he oscillatory movement therein of the head 23% secured on the upper end of the piv- The chamber 33 has lower inner side, is

formed an elongated recess 5, having at one end a transverse semi-circular pocket 88, said recess being continued outwardly at one endby a semi-circular groove 89 and at the other end by a semi-circular gro ve 40. it oppo= site ends of the switch casin are filler pieces 41, as of insulating mat r.l which match against the inner side portions of the ends oi the taco plate 28, as shown in 6, the piece ll having a semi-circular pocket l and a semi-circular groove i l to match the pocket 38 am groove 39 in the ii ner side oi plate 28, and the piece l2 having a l lair groove to match the groove it) in said plate 28. Mounted within the recess and the matching grooves formed in the meeting surfaces of the plat 28 and filler pieces ll, 42, is a slidable contact rod composed two main members 46, ll connected together by a bar of insulating material 48 which extends between the adjacent ends ot said members and insulates one member from the other member, as may be understood on reference to Figs. 2 and 6'.

The contact member 46 has an outwardly extending threaded stem 49 on which is a rotary internally threaded sleeve 50 whose inner portion is mounted in the matching pool:- ets 38, 43 and matching grooves 89, at, said sleeve being provided for adjusting the contact rod longitudinally in either direction and the portion of said sleeve within the pockets 38, L3 serving as an annular shoulder to prevent the sleevetrom sliding. A jamconductor 53 nut 51 is provided on the stem e9 to engage the sleeve50 and lock the same stationary after the contact rod has received its adjustment. 0n the outer end of the stem 49 are nuts 52 to en -'e theadjacent end of a circuit l w ng 1, (\A within the faceplate 27 soas to leave a flush surtace. The plate 57 is in electrical connection with threaded stem 58 which extends out through the plate 27 and has on its outer end ordinary binding nuts 59 to engage the adjacent end of'a circuit conductor 60.

the :tacelhe switch lever 21 is in the form of a metal bar having on its upper end, within,

the chamber 83, the head of insulating material and being pivotally mounted on a transverse pin 61 which extends through the face-plates 2?, 28 and is supported thereby.

The Central body member 26 ot the casing 20 is formed in its lower portion with a segmental recess 62 within which the switch lever may have oscillatory motion and down througli'w iich the lower pl on of said lever projects, as shown in Figs. 4 and headB containsa transverse metal sleeve 63 which is open at both ends but at said ends being partlyclosed to retain within the sleeve the ball contacts which .are pressed outwardly to project slightly beyond the ends of the sleeve'by means of a coiled spring 66 interposed between said contacts. When the switch 21' 's in its initial position the ball-contacts 6 65 engage the inner faces of the plates 28, 27, respectively, and perform no duty, but when the switch 21 is turned to carry its head 3% over toward the right, looking at Fig. 2, the contact-ball is first caused to ride on and against the conduc-tor-member 46' and then against the conductor-member 47, while at the same time the contact-ball 65 rides against the conductingplate 57 secured to the face-plate 2?, thus first forming an electrical connection between the member 46 and plate 57 and then between the member i-7 and plate On the return movement toward the left of the head 3a, the contact 6e rides along the conductor 47 and then along and-finally oil from the conductor to, the contact 65 at the same time riding along and finallyolli from the plate 57. Lilln the switch 21 in its initial pos non. l i hen the switch2l is turned to carry the contact balls against the conductor and plate 5?, a circuit is completed from. the plate 57 willremain displayed until on the further movement of the switch 21, the contact ball 7 Mpasses from the conductor and engages the conductor all, at which time a circuit through the red lamp 25 will be completed from the plate 5'1 conductor 60, battery 68, lamp 25, conductor 56, stem fi l and conductor 47 andthrough the ball 6st, spring and ball 65 to the plate 5?. lhe red light will re main on display just as long as the ball contact 6% remains in engagement with the conductor l7. On the rev rse movement of the switch 21, the red light will become extinguished by the breaking of the circuit, when The A sorin 67 is rovided to normall re l a i l (BO the ball contact 6% leaves the conductor 45. p

and thereupon the green light will'beoome displayed by the making of the circuit through the lamp 24, and finally the green light will becomeextinguished by the breaking of the circuit when the switch21 reaches its initial or first position, shown in Fig. 2. The conductor comprising the members 46, 47 is adjustable longitudinally, and hence the duration of the green and red signals may be conveniently regulated at will, and I regard this as oneof the important purposes accomplished by my invention.

The switch 21 may be operated from the brake-pedal of an automobile, and hence I connect the switch with the brake-rod 23 in an adjustable manner by the means shown in Figs. 1 and 9. The switch-pull wire 22 is connected at one end to the switch and at its other end to a sheet metal loop 69 carrying a threaded rod or screw 70, and this rod passes freely through the outer end of a sheet metal loop 71 and carries adj usting nuts 72 by means of which the rod 7 0 may be adjusted with relation to the loop 71 and firmly secured to said loop 71, said nuts being at opposite sides of the outer end of the loop 71 and adapted to clamp said end. The loop 71 carries a screw 7 3 which passes freely through the outer portions of a folded sheet metal clamp 74 and has a wing-nut 75 to engage said clamp; The clamp 74 engages the brake-rod 23 and is adjustable on said rod and said clamp becomes bound to said'rod when the nut 7 5is tightened against the free ends of the clamp and binds said ends against the loop 71, as shown in Fig. 9. The clamp 74 is adjustable on the brake-rod 23, and the sheet metal loop 71 is adjustable along the rod or screw 70, and hence I am enabled to secure a very accurate operation of the switch 21 under the varying conditions that may be met in applying the invention to automobiles.

The operation of the invention will be largely understood from the foregoing description. When slowing down the car, the brake-rod 23 will be moved toward braking position, and this will act through the connections described, to drawthe lower end of the switch 21 toward the left, looking at Figs. 1 and 2, and cause the head 34 on said switch to turn toward the right and complete a circuit through the green lamp 24, thereby warning the driver of a car behind that the car carrying the signal is slowing down and may stop. The brake rod 23 may be allowed to tr'eturn to initial position and thus permit the switch to return to initial position, extinguishing the green light, or the brake-rod may be continued to its full position for applyingthe brakes, in which event the switch 21 would be moved to complete a circuit through the red lamp as a stop signal. When the brakes are released, the switch head 34 has a reverse movement and first the circuit through the red lamp is broken, then the circuit through the green lamp is made and then 5 the circuit through the green lamp becomes broken by the return of the switch to its I initial position.

In Figs. 10 to 14 inclusive, I illustrate a modification of my invention, and therein 76 denotes the switch-casing as a whole, 7 7 a re ciprocatory switch rod and 78 a pull wire connected with said rod and corresponding with the wire 22 of Fig. 1.

The casing 76 comprises upper and lower '86 and interposed spring 87, these features corresponding exactly with the sleeve 63, ball-contacts 64, 65 and spring 66 shown in Fig. 8. On the switch rod 77 is arranged a coiled spring 88 which normally acts to retain the head 83 in its initial position, shown in Fig. 11, and performing no function. Along one edge of the chamber 82 is secured a conducting plate 89, which performs the duty of the plate 57 shown in Fig. 7. The plate 89 is held by a screw 90 from which a conductor 91 leads to the battery 92. At the opposite edge of the chamber 82 is a conductor-plate 93 carried by a threaded stem 94 having an adjusting sleeve 95 corresponding with the sleeve 50 of Fig. 3. From the stem 94, a conductor 96 leads to a red electric lamp 97. Adjacent to the inner end of the plate 93 is a conducting plate 98 which is secured on the inner end of a pivot rod 99 projecting downwardly through the casing section and having on its exposed end the binding nuts 100 to engage the adjacent end of the conductor 101 leading to the green lamp 102. The plate 98 has a reasonable long edge 103 to lie along the edge of the chamber 82 when desired and a rounded end 104 which, by means of the rod 99 may be turned to lie at said edge of the chamber, in accordance with whether a longer or a shorter display of the reen signal is desired. The plate 98 is adjustable independently of the plate 93, whereas in Fig. 2, the conductors 46, 47 must be adjusted together. The plate 98'performs the duty of the conductor 46 in Fig. 2 with respect to rendering it possible to regulate the duration of display of the green signal. The rod 99 may be manually turned to adjust the plate 98 by means of a finger-piece 103 thereon, said piece having engagement with a'flat portion of the outer end of the rod 99. Stop pins 104 may be provided on the switch casing to limit the throw of the finger piece 103, as shown in Fig. 12.

The conductor-plate 93 may be adjusted toward and from theplate 98 in accordance with the gap it may be desired to have be- Ill tween the displa' of the green signal and that of the red signa and also in accordance with such position of adjustment asmay be given to the plate 98. v i

The casing 76 is provided at one end with a set screw 105 which may be utilized as means for adjusting the initial position of the head 83 with relation to the conductor-plates 89, 98 should there be any irregularities in the casing or its parts as to require such adjustment.

lVh en the brake-rod is moved toward braking POSllElOlhlllE switch rod 7? is moved accordingiy, in 0 position to the force of the spring 88, and irries the head 83 with it. The movement or the head 83 results in the ball contacts 85, SSbeingiirst carried along the facing edges of the conducting plates 89, 98' and in thereby completing a circuit through the green lamp and thereafter on the continued movement of the head 83, being carried along the plates89, 93 and establishing a circuit through the red lamp. The plate 93 performs thedut-y of the conductor 47 of Fig. 2. An extended explanation of the operation or" the switch mechanism shown in 10 to 14 inclu siveis not required, since the operation of theswitch head 103 is the same as that of the head 34 shown in Fig. 8.

In both formsof my invention hereinbetore described, I provide means for giving a green or slow signal and also a red or stop signal, means for adjusting the duration of the green signal and a switch having a head carrying opposite spring-pressed contacts to engage opposite conductors torcompleting the circuits through said head and conductors to produce respectively the green signal and the red signal. 7 I

lVhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

1. Electric switch mechanism of the char acter described comprising an enclosing casing, an operating switch connected with means for moving the same and having a head within the casing provided with a trans verse conductor, a fixed contact-conductor within the casing in the path 01": one end of 7 said switch-conductor and to be engaged thereby, and two contact-conductors within said casing in the path of the other end of said switch-conductor and to be respectively on a'ed'thereby and one of saidtwo contactconuuctors, being in one circuit, while the.

- other of said two contact-conductors is in another circuit, said switch on'its movements being adapted to carry its conductor into electric engagement vith said fixed contactductor and at the same time successively u i said two contact-conductors, one contactcondnctor bein adjustably mounted and the switch casing having exposed meansltor manually moving said contact-conductor to expose more or less of A conductor.

edge to said switchcas ngin the path, of the other end 2. Electric switch mechanism of the character described comprising an enclosing cas ing, an 7 operating switch connected with means for moving 11168211118 and having a head within the-casing provided with transverse'conductor, a fixed contact-conductor within the casing in the path of one end of said switch-conductor and to be engaged thereby, and two contactconductors within said casing in the path of the other end of said switch-conductor and to be respectively engaged thereby and one of said two contactconductors being in one circuit, while the other of said two contact-conductors is in another circuit, said switch on its movements being adapted to carry its conduct-or into electric engagement w th said lixed contact conductor and at the same time successively with said two contact-conductors, the said twocontact-conductors being insulated from each other at ad acent ends and mounted to have sliding movement in the switch casing and having meal s for adjusting said conductors longitudinally.

3. Electric switch mechanism of the charbeing adapted to carry its conductor into electric engagement with said fixed contact-conductor and at the same time successively with said two contact-conductors,the two contact-- conductors being in line with each other and connected together by insulating material,

which extends between the adjacent ends of said conductors and insulates one from the other, said conductors having stems extending outwardly from the switch-casing, and

the said contact-conductors constituting a slidable body and-the casing having means whereby said body maybe manually ad ed longitudinally for varying the eatenv of exposure of said conductors to said switch conductor.

4. Electric switch mechanism of the'chan ter described comprisingan enclosing casing,

an operating switch-connected with means torv moving the same and having a head v within the casing providedlwith a transverse conductor, a fixed contact-conductor. within the "casing inthe path of one end. or .saic switch-conductor and to befengaged there by, and two contact-conductors,within said switch-conductor and to be respectively engaged thereby and one of said two contactconductors being in one circuit, while the other of said two contact-conductors is in another circuit, said switch on its movements being adapted to carry its conductor into electric engagement with said fixed contactconductor and at the same time successively with said two contact-conductors, the switchcasing comprising a chambered body-portion and two face-plates of insulating material,

the switch being pivotally mounted with its head within the chamber of said casing and its shank exposed without the same, said fixed contact-conductor being secured to one of said face plates and disposed at one side of said chamber and said two contact-conductors being disposed at the other side of said chamber and insulated except from the switch-conductor and their respective circuit conductors, said two contact-conductors being in line with each other and connected together and mounted to have sliding movement in the switch casing and having means for adjusting said conductors longitudinally whereby to vary the extent of exposure of said conductors to said switch conductor.

5. Electric switch mechanism of the character described comprising an enclosing casing, an operating switch connected with means for moving the same and having a head within the casing provided with a transverse conductor, a fixed contact-conductor within the casing in the path of one end of said switch conductor and to be engaged thereby, and two contact-conductors within said casing in the path of the other end of said switch-conductor and to be respectively engaged thereby and one of said two contactconductors being in one circuit, while the other of said two contact-conductors is in another circuit, said switch on its movements being adapted to carry its conductor into electric engagement with said fixed contactconductor and at the same time successively with said two contact-conductors, and adjustable means for connecting the switch to the brake-rod of an automobile, said adjustable means comprising a pull-Wire connected at one end to the switch and at the other end having a loop carrying a screw, a clip adjustable on the brake-rod, a member carried by said clip and through which said screw freely passes and clamping nuts on said screw at opposite sides of said member.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 4th day of December, A. D. 1923.

DOMINICK CLERICO. 

